title: Faecal calprotectin in colonic diverticular disease: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Information about faecal calprotectin (FC) in colonic diverticular disease (DD) are lacking. We assessed FC in colonic DD, comparing it with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients and healthy controls. Moreover, we compared FC levels in different degrees of DD and assessed FC in symptomatic DD before and after treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight consecutive patients with a new endoscopic diagnosis of DD (16 with asymptomatic diverticulosis, 16 with symptomatic uncomplicated DD, 16 with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis), 16 healthy controls, and 16 IBS patients were studied. FC was assessed by semi-quantitative method and compared with histological inflammation. Moreover, FC was reassessed in symptomatic DD after 8 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FC was not increased in healthy controls and IBS patients. No difference was found between asymptomatic diverticulosis, healthy controls, and IBS patients (p = n.s.). We found higher FC values in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (p < 0.0005) and in symptomatic uncomplicated DD (p < 0.005) than in healthy controls and in IBS patients. FC values correlated with inflammatory infiltrate (p < 0.0005). FC decreased after treatment to normal values both in acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (p < 0.0005) and in symptomatic uncomplicated DD (p < 0.005) after treatment. INTERPRETATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: FC may be useful to detect colonic inflammation in DD and in distinguishing symptomatic DD from IBS, as well as in assessing response to therapy in DD.
authors.affiliation: Digestive Endoscopy Unit, "Lorenzo Bonomo" Hospital, Via Torino, 49, 70031, Andria, BA, Italy. antotursi@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tursi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brandimarte
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Elisei
authors.forename: Gian Marco
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Giorgetti
authors.forename: Cosimo Damiano
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Inchingolo
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aiello
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003113:Colonoscopy; D043963:Diverticulosis, Colonic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D019804:Mesalamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D012294:Rifamycins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000078262:Rifaximin; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex; D012294:Rifamycins; D019804:Mesalamine; D000078262:Rifaximin